Collaborations

The Nicki Leach Foundation Mission Statement:

“The primary mission of the Nicki Leach Foundation, a non-profit organization, is to provide modest financial assistance to young adults (18-30) afflicted with cancer. The Foundation has decided to focus on this particular age group, as it includes the highest number of under insured individuals in the U.S., who are often caught between completion of education and actual employment with insurance. Most have already exhausted their financial resources, and have significant trouble finding jobs given their diagnoses and disabilities. We strongly urge you to support the Mission of the Nicki Leach Foundation.”

Brain tumors found in adolescents and young adults (AYA) are a distinct group of tumors that pose challenges not only to treatment, but also to reporting. It has been that cancer that occurs in this age group is biologically distinct from those that occur in both younger and older age groups, thus posing significant challenges for clinicians. To overcome this challenge, weare collaborating with the Nicki Leach Foundation to develop preclinical models for young adults with brain tumors. This age group (15-39) has no sufficient preclinical models. With this collaboration, we aim to change that.